COUNCIL tax in Selby look set to be frozen for the second year in a row, despite fears the move could lead to higher increases in future.

Selby District Council’s meeting tomorrow will be presented with a report which recommends the move to freeze the tax level for Band D properties until 2013.

By freezing the council tax rate, the authority will be eligible for a grant of up to £120,000 from the Government, but a report to the council’s Policy Review Committee in January said accepting the grant would create a £48,000 shortfall, compared to the expected increase of 3.5 per cent.

The recommendation comes just days after City of York Council shunned Government assistance and chose to raise its council tax rate by 2.9 per cent.

The report stated that the freeze had been carefully considered, but the benefits outweighed the potential harm: “In recommending a freeze in Council Tax the Executive were mindful of the implications but felt the Council would be able to deliver the necessary savings.”

But Labour leader, Councillor Steve Shaw-Wright, said did not want the council to take the ‘Pickles pound’ because of long term issues it would create for the district.

“We will be losing approximately £2million over a 10-year period by taking the Government money,” he said.” We have a very low base anyway and we need that money to invest in the town. “We’re playing against Leeds, York and Doncaster, who offer bigger shopping experiences. We need to offer a niche one, something different, and we need money to improve our facilities.

“We could make a lot of difference to the district by trying to convince retail, commercial and trade to move to the area. We either have to link with York and join in or do our own improvements, but we have to have some resources to play with, and that comes down to money. No increase this year would mean a five or six per cent increase or the cutting of more jobs, and realistically, we don’t have the jobs to lose.”

The council will meet tomorrow to discuss whether the freeze will go ahead.